MARIA MONTESSORI

CURRICULUM
P R E PA R E D BY:
R A C H E L M A R I E R . ATA L E
WHO FOUNDED THE MONTESSORI APPROACH?

• 1907: The Founding

Years. At the beginning
of the 20th century, Dr.
Maria Montessori,
Italy's first female
doctor, opened the
Casa dei Bambini
(Children's House) to
provide education to
low-income children in
Rome. Dr. Maria
Montessori
 WHO INFLUENCED MARIA
MONTESSORI?

• Montessori was profoundly influenced by

Fredrich Froebel, the inventor of
kindergarten, and by Johann Heinrich
Pestalozzi, who believed children learned
through activity.

• She also drew inspiration from Itard,

Seguin and Rousseau.
 WHAT IS THE MONTESSORI
CURRICULUM?

• It is a scientific observations about how

children learn as they progress from birth
to adulthood.
• Essential to the Montessori Method, is the
Montessori Curriculum, which is a child-
centred learning framework that
incorporates holistic learning outcomes
tailored to each individual child’s
developmental needs and interests.
THE MONTESSORI CURRICULUM COVERS
FIVE KEY LEARNING AREAS:
• Practical Life, Sensorial, Mathematics, Language
and Culture.

• In addition to these key learning areas,

Montessori Academy also cover the Australian
Government’s Early Years Learning
Framework, Health and Wellbeing, Science,
Geography, School Readiness, and the Arts. In
this way, Montessori Academy delivers a holistic
education program that is tailored to the unique
developmental needs and interests of each
individual child.
 creativity and arts

early years learning

framework

health and well being

 1. PRACTICAL LIFE

• activities help children learn how to care for

themselves and their environment. These
activities help the child to become more
independent, leading to greater self-
confidence, and the ability to face new
challenges.
• The purpose of these activities is to enhance co-
ordination, concentration, independence, and
indirectly prepare children for writing and
reading.
• Activities often include cleaning, food
preparation, polishing and watering plants.
 2. SENSORIAL

• Sensorial materials were designed by Doctor

Maria Montessori to help children express
and classify their sensory experiences.
• The purpose of sensorial activities is to aid in
the development of the intellectual senses of
the child, which develops the ability to
observe and compare with precision.
• Activities often include matching and grading
materials that isolate the sense of sight,
sound, touch, taste and smell.
 3. MATHEMATICS

• Mathematical concepts are introduced to the

child using concrete sensorial materials.
• Initial explorations with sensorial materials
encourage children to understand basic
maths concepts such as learning number
recognition, counting and sequencing of
numbers.
• Sensorial work prepares the child for a more
formal introduction to mathematics, and the
introduction of abstract mathematical
concepts such as the decimal system and
mathematical operations.
 4. LANGUAGE

• Language materials are designed to enhance

vocabulary and explore both written and
spoken language.
• Through language-based activities, such as
the sandpaper letters and the moveable
alphabet, children learn phonetic sounds
and how to compose words phonetically.
• They progress using concrete materials to
compose their own written work, read the
work of others, and learn to communicate
their unique thoughts and feelings.
 5. CULTURE
• Cultural activities lead the child to experience
music, stories, artwork and items from the child’s
community, society and cultural background.
The areas of geography, science, zoology and
botany are all included in this area.
• A range of globes, puzzle maps and folders
containing pictures from different countries all help
to give the child an insight into different cultures.
• The culture area encourages children to
develop their capacity for creation, and
develop fine motor skills. Whilst learning to
freely express themselves. Through cultural
activities, children develop an awareness and
appreciation of the world around them.
 MONTESSORI CLASSROOMS

• Montessori classrooms are beautifully crafted

environments that are designed to meet the
needs of children in a specific age range.
• The role of the Montessori teacher within this
environment is to observe and guide each
student on their unique development journey.
• The focus is on children learning and
leading, not on teachers teaching. In
addition, the Montessori teacher presents the
Montessori activities to the children. As a result,
children learn by watching the presentations, and
then completing the activities on their own.
 MONTESSORI MATERIALS

• The Montessori materials match children’s

interests with the five Montessori curriculum
areas.
• Through interest-based experiences, children
learn to develop key knowledge areas and
skills that assist with their social, cognitive,
physical and emotional development.
• In effect, the Montessori materials teach
children how to problem solve, work together,
correct their own work.
 PRINCIPLES OF MONTESSORI
EDUCATION

• Montessori discovered that children avidly

absorb information from their surroundings,
and that if these surroundings provide
opportunities for learning, that children would
readily teach themselves.
• Over more than 50 years, Montessori
perfected the teaching principles, key
learnings, and educational materials that
provided children with the optimal learning
environment.
 1. RESPECT FOR THE CHILD

• The unique developmental needs and

interests of each child are respected.
Children are not compared based on
merit, they are valued for their
individuality. Montessori education
embraces multiple styles and pathways to
learning, and understands that each
child’s early learning journey is
different.
 2. SENSITIVE PERIODS

• Children pass through specific stages in

their development when they are most
able to learn specific skills.
• The Montessori learning environment
supports these periods by proving children
with hands-on learning experiences
that encourage repetition and
problem solving to maximise learning
during these windows of opportunity.
 3. THE ABSORBENT MIND

• The first six years of life are crucial in a

child’s development as they establish an
understanding of themselves and their
world.
• The Montessori environment supports
children in this task by providing them
with learning experiences that promote
their sense of belonging, confidence,
independence and agency.
 4. TEACHING ROLES

• Children are the centre of the Montessori

classroom.

• The role of the teacher is to observe and

guide, being mindful of children’s
changing interests, developmental needs,
and emotions.

• Teachers plan daily lessons for each child.

 5. MONTESSORI MATERIALS

• Montessori materials are sensory-based

learning tools that are designed to isolate
one skill or concept. The materials
encourage hands-on learning, independent
problem solving, and analytical thinking.
 6. PREPARED ENVIRONMENT

• The Montessori classroom is a prepared

environment designed to optimise
learning.

• Characteristics include: low open shelves,

left to right display of Montessori materials
in progression order, defined curriculum
areas, child-sized furniture, freedom of
movement, and freedom of choice.
 7. THREE HOUR WORK CYCLE

• Students participate in a three-hour work

cycle every day.

• This period of individual learning provides

children with the opportunity to choose
their work and progress at their own pace.
 8. FIVE CURRICULUM AREAS

• The Montessori Curriculum is divided into

five key areas of learning:
• Practical Life,
• Sensorial
• Mathematics
• Language and
• Culture
• Each curriculum area has a dedicated
space in the prepared environment.
 9. NORMALISATION

• Normalisation describes the process where

young children come to focus and
concentrate on a task for a sustained
period of time.

• This period of development is

characterized by: love of work,
concentration, self-discipline,
sociability.
 THE MONTESSORI DIFFERENCE

• “What makes Montessori different from

other preschools?”

• Prepared learning environments

• Montessori learning materials
• Child-focused teaching
• Active learning experiences
• Adaptable Curriculum
PREPARED LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

• The first Montessori difference can observed

in the structure of the Montessori classroom,
which is a prepared learning environment.

• Each material is displayed in progression

order, from easiest to hardest, and from left
to right. This logical structure encourages
children to organise their thinking, progress
logically through the Montessori program, and
absorb the outcome of the material at their
own pace.
• The left to right orientation of the Montessori
materials also assists children with
preparation for reading and writing, and the
way that the brain naturally processes
information.
 MONTESSORI MATERIALS
• The second Montessori difference can be
observed when you look around the shelves of
the classroom. Each Montessori classroom
contains a full suite of authentic Montessori
learning materials sourced from Neinhaus and
Bruins, the leading providers of Montessori
materials internationally.

• Montessori materials are sensory-based learning

tools that are designed to isolate one skill or
concept. The materials encourage hands-on
learning, independent problem solving, and
analytical thinking.
• Most unique about these hands-on learning tools is
that each material is designed with a control of
error. This allows children to work with the
materials and discover the learning outcome
through repetition and practice.
• Working with the Montessori materials teach
children how to develop the skills of ‘Executive
Function’ such as critical thinking,
collaboration, communication, creativity,
independence, and intrinsic motivation. By
contrast, play-based child care services generally
offer a range of activities that are predominantly
play based toys, as opposed to educational
learning materials.
 CHILD-FOCUSED TEACHING

Teachers’ Roles
• In a Montessori preschool, the role of the Teacher
is to provide students with learning experiences
that are designed to animate their own “inner
teacher.” They will never say, “no you’re doing it
wrong,” or compare one child’s progress to another.
Instead they observe, guide, and respect each
child’s own unique development journey.
• This structure encourages students to develop the
skills of independence, self-regulation, impulse
control, and critical thinking; ultimately leading to a
harmonious classroom environment, and the optimal
learning space for children.
• Montessori Teachers also create daily lesson
plans for each individual child, and teach at a
child level, as opposed to a class level. This
structure allows each child to progress
according to their developmental needs and
interests.
• In comparison, most traditional preschools
deliver the same weekly plan, at the same
pace, in the same order for all students.
ADAPTIVE LEARNING EXPERIENCES
• Active vs. Passive
Montessori lessons are interactive learning
experiences that engage children’s senses. In contrast,
traditional preschools generally encourage learning
through passive learning experiences, such as listening
and play-based activities.
• Montessori work cycle
The Montessori work cycle is a structured period of
learning at the beginning of the school day that allows
children to direct and manage their learning.
By comparison, traditional preschools do not usually
offer such an extensive block of time for children to
direct their own learning, and develop their
concentration on activities.
• Mixed Age Groups
The sixth Montessori difference is mixed-
age class groups.
This structure allows children to work at
their own level, while socialising with
children of diverse ages and developmental
abilities. In most traditional preschools,
classes are defined by chronological age
within a 12 month period, rather than a
child’s stage of development.
 ADAPTABLE CURRICULUM

• The activities in each Curriculum area are

designed to teach specific learning objectives,
whilst also offering a range of learning
extensions, to further re-inforce key concepts.
In this way, the Montessori Curriculum is
adaptable and expandable to meet each child’s
unique developmental needs and interests.
• In traditional preschools, the Curriculum
generally contains set learning objectives, that
do not offer learning extensions to suit
individual student needs.
 WHY CHOOSE MONTESSORI?

1. Child Centred, Teacher Guided -every child

learns in a different way

2. Holistic Learning Experience -covers five key

areas that focus on full development of the child.

3. Social Development and Collaboration

-encourages children to role model, collaborate
with others, and fosters imitative learning.
4. Confident Lifelong Learners -become
confident and independent learners.

5. Highly Skilled and Passionate Staff -undergo

extensive training in Montessori and early
childhood education and care.

6. Well Resourced Learning Environments

-facilities, and classrooms is to create a learning
environment that is supportive of children’s
interests and development needs as they grow.
7. Best Practices -“Education should no longer be
mostly imparting of knowledge, but must take a
new path, seeking the release of human
potentialities.”
-Dr.M.M

8. Education Fosters Independence -These

tasks include washing dishes, caring for plants, and
folding child-sized wash cloths. As a result, this is
not only empowering for the child, but it also gives
them a sense of confidence and personal
achievement.
9. Parent Satisfaction
10. Learning is fun -learn about all areas of the
curriculum by actively participating in activities
that engage multiple senses.
The Montessori motto:

“Help me to do it myself.”

-thank you 